The Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2019 officially started today and one thing that is clearly emerging as a trend is folding smartphones.

Samsung introduced its first foldable display smartphone, the Galaxy Fold which will be available for $ 1

,980 and will be sold in April. Huawei followed with the Mate X which had a design element for outer folding for the price of 2,299 euros. While these two phones are ready for the market, TCL has also released prototypes for folding phones, with the DragonHinge mechanism in the spotlight. TCL is expected to launch its folding device in 2020.

TCL DragonHinge concept. Image: TCL

With DragonHinge, TCL expects a whole range of flexible form factor devices for wearables, smartphones and tablets. TCL presented some prototypes of how the DragonHinge mechanism could be used.

TCL uses the AMOLED display of its partner company, China Star Optoelectronics Technology, also known as CSOT. If this Display Tech is coupled with the DragonHinge mechanism, TCL may have devices with different foldable form factors, according to the company.

DragonHinge demonstrated by TCL. Image: TCL

"With the announcement of DragonHinge, we can show the world how we master the mechanical enclosure challenges that need to be resolved to support these new foldable form factors Hardware solution from which we can build to enable us the unique software experience that this new technology enables, and how it can be integrated into a larger networked ecosystem as we launch our first foldable device next year, "said Shane Lee, General Manager of the Global Product Center at TCL.

Among the exhibited prototypes, one of them was designed like a book, with the display on the inside, similar to Samsung Galaxy Fold. Another design featured a thin and long phone that could be folded along the back and worn as a watch. Another design makes a phone like a flip phone and part of the display shows notifications.

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